The holy land of Rameshwaram is bestowed with around 64 theertham which are located in and around the island. These theertham have been mentioned in Puranas which are sacred Hindu scriptures. Most of them are associated with the holy text of Ramayana. Devotees on Rameshwaram tour, bathe in this holy water so as to atone for their past sins. Jada Theertham is one such prominent theertham in Rameswaram.

Jada Theertham is located on the way to Dhanuskodi, which is another popular place to see in Rameshwaram. Once a popular pilgrimage, Dhanuskodi, which has been declared as ghost town or unsuitable for habitation after the catastrophic cyclone of 1964, has now remains of ancient temple which withstood the cyclone that destroyed everything.

Located at a distance of 3.5 km from Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple, this is a large pond considered to be highly sacred. The legend behind this theertham is associated with the war between Lord Rama and demon Ravana, who had abducted Goddess Sita. According to the legend, after the war and killing demon Ravana, who was also a Brahmin, Lord Rama decided to atone for his sin by offering prayers to Lord Shiva by creating a lingam. Before worshipping lingam of Lord Shiva, Lord Rama washed his hair in this pond. Hence it is called as Jada Theertham as the word Jada means hair.

There is one more legend associated with Jada Theertham. According to it, it is at this place the bird Jatayu, an ardent devotee, had given up his life after his wings were cut by demon Ravana.

There is a temple near Jada theertham, Kaveri Theertham which is dedicated to Lord Kapardis Vara. This temple is also visited by almost every devotee in Rameshwaram. Built near a huge peepal tree, this temple captivates visitors with its architectural beauty as well. Although the structure is small in size, the temple presents alluring craftsmanship and its lattice work is especially attractive. According to legend, Lord Rama, Goddess Sita and Lord Lakshmana had rested under the same peepal tree when they were on vanvas (Exile) from their kingdom Ayodhya.

Reaching Jada Theertham

Jada Theertham is easily accessible via road. Located around 3.5 km away from Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple, it can be reached by all public modes of transportation. Tourists can either take an auto rickshaw or hire a cab to here. Tourists can also take a city bus, which run at frequent intervals.